


Classes in Seduction

by QueenZombean



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:34:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23911642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenZombean/pseuds/QueenZombean
Summary: Hermione is put in charge of Draco's care after he has an unfortunate accident. She winds up in the most awkward position when he offers to help her get Ron's attention.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 5
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story I started in 2007 and never finished. I'm just re-writing it for the hundreth time. Someday I hope to finish it! This is based in an AU after Chamber of Secrets!

**~The Burrow~**

The air carried the scent of summer and Hermione took it in with a deep breath. Wiggling her toes amidst the blades of grass she pulled her knees to her body. The quiet was calming. A last moment before the bustle of was winding down;Change was coming. Both Hermione and the summer wind knew it.

"Hermione!"

She heard Ron's voice roll across the distance. The wind made it sound so far when he was merely a few feet away.

"Over here." she responded with a beckoning wave of her hand.

"What are you doing all the way over here?" he asked while flopping down next to her. Ron's red hair had recently been cut and yet it somehow still resembled an untamed fire pit. Hermione smiled at the thought of her fingers running through it.

"Contemplating the next year. It's getting so close to the end of our time at Hogwarts." Hermione pulled up a few wisps of grass and let them fly in the wind, "I have this unsettling feeling that this year is going to be … different."

"Naa…" He brushed off her worries with a playful nudge, "This year you're due to be head girl and I'll be the master of the Quidditch pitch."

"Ron..." she gave him a skewed glance,"Master is a goal that I think…."

Ron gave her that look that stopped her words immediately. It was like a puppy dog. A big red adorable freckled puppy dog.

"A.a...goal that I think is totally achievable." Hermione finished with a strained smile. "Hum..while on the topic of goals...I've got something I want to tell you.." Hermione took a breath while preparing to exhale her feelings.

Ron grinned, "I knew this was coming."

"You did?" her heart skipped a beat, "I mean I knew it's no secret but…"

"Of course. I've seen the looks. I just wanted to wait till you were ready to tell me." Ron put his hand over hers, "These things are delicate."

"And your..feelings on it?" Hermione's words were a mere whisper out of her mouth. She was distracted by his hand and his calm response.

"Well," Ron ran a hand through his hair, "I don't think Ginny's going to like it."

"She'll get over it." Hermione said with a more dismissive tone that she had intended. "She's your sister and my best friend. Ultimately she'll want whatever makes us happy."

"Yeah but when it comes to Harry..."

"Harry?" Hermione's head whipped around to look at him, "Ron what are you talking about you?"

A stumped look came over his face, " You liking...Harry."the words came out slowly.

"I..." she added, "What!"

"It's okay. I know you're worried about the trio but I don't see your relationship causing any issues." Ron took his hand off hers after giving it a gentle squeeze.

She was speechless. He really thought she liked Harry. How did he ever come to that conclusion!?

"Ron! Hermione! Tea's on!" Mrs. Weasley's voice called out from the Burrow.

Hermione stood wordlessly. All she had to do was finish the conversation. She could have corrected him and put his name in instead of Harry's. Why hadn't she. Instead they walked back with Ron rambling on about his new Quidditch gear.

"You alright dear?" Mrs Weasley asked as they approached, "You look upset."

"Oh no! Just overwhelmed by the options for Quidditch boots and gloves. I'm going to go wash up." Hermione offered a smile before running into the house.

"Poor girl.." Mrs Weasley said quietly as she watched her retreat, "Ronald. Don't think I can't hear you opening the cupboard. Fingers out of the biscuits!"


	2. Chapter 2

~The Forest Outside of Malfoy Manor~

On a moonless night the stars shine brighter than on any other. On this particularly moonless night, Draco Malfoy couldn't give a damn about the stars. He was lost in the middle of the woods, his broom was reduced to kindling and he had lost his wand. Unable to apparate, Draco was reduced to walking through his OWN forest.

"Bloody TREES and NATURE!" He yelled as his foot caught on a root and he stumbled, "When I get home…" he kicked the offending tree, "…I am cutting this entire ruddy forest down!"

He'd meant to go for a relaxing flight before he was restricted to Hogwarts once more. The Manor's grounds were vast and it was easy to fly freely without worry. Tonight however his father had been particularly nasty and the sound of his mother's tears rang in his ears. No matter how far from the Manor he was, he could still hear them. Some family.

Family. A foreign word as of late. His mother was hidden away in her room half the time. With Voldemort's defeat in the Chamber of Secrets, his Father had been put under watch by the Ministry. With each passing year he grew more angry. As much as Draco hated being at Hogwarts, it had become a welcome reprieve from the disdain of Lucius Malfoy.

This was their final year. They were expected to know what they wanted out of the world and many assumed Draco would automatically be groomed to take over the family business. There was a time where he was sure he would. It provided a sense of comfort. Now, he wasn't so comforted by the thought of working with his father. Branching out suddenly seemed more tempting but Draco didn't even know where to begin.

The lights up ahead caught his attention and he hurried his pace. He could feel the family wards up ahead and once within them he called out for his elf, "Jinx!"

The small female house elf appeared and looked him over. With a snap of her fingers they were immediately moved into his bedroom. Draco stripped off his tattered robes and looked at his small companion. She gave a knowing nod and disappeared.

Jinx and Draco rarely needed words when it came to his needs. He was going to shower and she would return with a plate of food and elixir for his wounds. His stomach rumbled at the thought. He would eat and then sleep. Tomorrow he had shopping with Mother for his Hogwarts items.

The quiet pop he heard signaled Jinx had returned with food. He turned on the hot water and winced as it hit some of his smaller cuts. He scrubbed until all the dirt was gone and the water ran clear. All Draco wanted was to sleep and to forget his failed flight, his mother's tears and his father's anger. As he exited the shower and dressed Draco noticed a green dragon ring on his nightstand.

"Jinx?" He gave her a curious look while picking up the elegant piece of jewelry. Jinx gave a nod in the direction of his mother's wing. Draco smiled, "She's the one upset and yet I get the gift." Slipping the ring onto his pinkie finger he gave it a kiss before moving for food, repairs and sleep.

Two weeks later

Hermione sighed into the warm cup of tea as she sat in the quiet of the head's common room. This was her favorite time of the day. As much as she loved reading into the night nothing could beat the quiet of a fresh morning. It was perfect. Well, almost perfect.

She was sharing the Head's quarters with Draco Malfoy after all.

It hadn't been a surprise to see his name next to hers on the roles list for the year. He was a reputable wizard and had spent the last few years fighting her for the top spot in almost all of their classes. Hermione was prepared for their shared quarters to be tense and full of animosity however when she'd been called to the school early to discuss an urgent matter, she had no clue how upside down it was going to turn her year.

A quiet pop caught her attention and she smiled, "Morning Jinx." Hermione put down the cup of tea, "Don't even think of cleaning that up for me." She watched as the small elf's hands twitched at the comment. Hermione was forced to live with a house elf but she wasn't going to let her do the chores she could manage on her own.

A shuffling sound caught her attention and she looked up to see Draco coming down the stairs. He was the reason that Hermione had been called to the school early. He'd been cursed, which was why Jinx had come along with him. For now the curse only affected his legs requiring the use of a rather powerful enchantment to keep them moving.

"Granger." He muttered as he took a seat at the small dining table.

"Malfoy." Hermione responded in turn.

This was their usual morning routine. Jinx would pop down ahead to prepare his meal. He would shuffle down and they would coldly mutter each other's names. Once he was finished he'd gather his items and they would leave for class. Nobody else knew of Draco's issues. Nobody knew Jinx was in their quarters. It was a tight lipped secret and meant to stay that way. At least until someone could solve the riddle of what had happened to Draco's legs. Until then, Hermione was to be by his side at all times.

Explaining her sudden closeness to the Slytherin had been difficult but after the first few weeks it seemed to ease. Ron stopped making comments and Harry stopped asking. Hermione even stopped questioning it. Their trio had turned into a quartet.


	3. Chapter 4

"Time without Malfoy," Ron put his hands behind his head and signed happily, "This is a treat."

"Come off it," Hermione gave him a playful glare, "Unless there's a head meeting or an issue, us three are left alone every evening."

"For now." Ron scoffed, "I bet if Malfoy had it his way, he'd change that. I swear he enjoys using his Head Boy privileges to make your life overly complicated." Ron muttered, "It's bad enough you're tied to his hip during the day."

"I told you Ron, we have the same classes and it just makes sense." She looked at Harry for help,"You can change the subject anytime."

"Hmmm," Harry caught up, "So who does Malfoy have over tonight?"

Hermione cringed, "Ugh...no clue."

Their evening rambles allowed Hermione the chance to avoid Draco's random companions. When she'd been told about his cursed state there had been assumptions regarding his 'performance' abilities. That thinking quickly went out the window when she walked in on him and a Ravenclaw on their common room sofa. Rules were quickly put into place.

Stopping near the shore of the black lake they each picked a few rocks to toss across, "The one who gets it the furthest gets to pick who buys the next round of butterbeer." Hermione said, "And if I see a single wand out you have to for two weeks."

"So..." Ron said as he tossed his first rock, "About that idea we mentioned yesterday."

"Same answer as yesterday," Hermione quickly said as she flicked her wrist and sent the stone sailing.

"Come on Hermione…"Ron rubbed the surface of the stone in his hand.

"You know, it's our last year." Harry added, "It would be fun."

"Fun for a brief moment. Have you guys forgotten that I'd get into a world of trouble." Hermione dropped the rock in her hand in favor of another flatter one, "Head Girl says no."

"Head Girl is one thing," Ron smirked, "But what about Hermione. I bet you're itching to get some peace and quiet in your room. Malfoy would only be in the infirmary for a day or two."

"JUST a day or two," She scoffed, "Really."

"You know with the map and cloak there's no way anyone would pin it on you," Harry threw his rock and it skipped across the pond, "And I volunteer to buy drinks for the next month."

"Famous? I thought you were sick of fame, Mr Potter" Hermione threw her final rock into the lake with a resounding 'plop'

"This kind of fame is perfectly fine by me" Harry laugh ed and punched Ron's arm playfully, "I think we can handle it."

"Again," Hermione added, "You get the fame and I get the flogging. Sorry, not appealing."

"You know sometimes it feels like you actually enjoy having Malfoy around," Ron gave her a confused look, "Last year you would have at least given us an alternative."

"Merlin's sake Ronald!" Hermione threw out his first name, "I wasn't Head Girl last year and I won't do that to the Head Boy."

"So.." Ron walked up behind her, "Honestly, are you worried about getting into trouble or getting on Draco Malfoy's bad side?"

"You know this has nothing to do with Malfoy. I could care less what he thinks." She turned to face him, "I have a responsibility to the other students."

Ron placed his hands on her shoulder, his fingers gently tickling her neck, "But wouldn't you love to see that ferret squirm from embarrassment?" His fingers migrated to cup her cheeks, "Come on Mione…"

"Ron, I can't," They were so close, her face in his hands almost seemed intimate, "It's not right" The words were almost a whisper.

"For old times sake." Ron answered back.

"Ahem.." Harry cleared his throat.

Hermione flushed at the memory of Ron's assumption that she had feelings for Harry, "Ron…"

"You know, from where I'm standing… you two look awfully cozy." Harry's voice cut through the moment.

"I..what ..no.." Hermione exasperatedly yelped, "You two are impossible." Hermione pushed away from Ron. Her hands reached up to remove his grasp on her face. Still partially dazed from his closeness, she forgot how close to the lake they were and while rushing away form him her foot hit a wet rock . Ron grasped for her as she slipped but his hand instead filled with her scarf that slid off her shoulders. The resounding splash echoed in the dim light of the evening.

"For the love of…" Hermione looked down at the water she now sat in, "Well, this is a perfect way to end the conversation."

"Hermione, I'm so sorry" Ron reached down and helped her out of the pond, "I should have caught you."

"It's not your fault. I wasn't paying attention," Hermione looked down at her soaked robes.

"A simple drying spell should put things back to the way they were," Ron eagerly took out his wand.

"No!" Harry interrupted, "You're likely to turn her into a fish."

That comment got them all laughing. The tension broke immediately and they enjoyed a second laugh when Ron wrapped the dry scarf around Hermione's sopping form.

"Please tell me you two will drop the whole Malfoy prank," Hermione asked while casting a drying spell, "I have enough on my plate."

"Fine," Ron put his arm around Harry, "For now."

-Back at the Heads Quarters-

Walking through the portrait Hermione was surprised to see Malfoy alone on the in his hand and fingers absently tucked in his hair, he looked oddly at home amidst the mix of their house colors.

"You're staring at me, Granger." He looked up at her, "How's your two man servants. Is the ginger beast still oblivious to your desires?"

"You're disgusting," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes, "We're just friends." Her cheeks flushed at the memory of Ron's hands on her face.

"Granger," He closed his book with a 'thwack' and twisted his body towards her, "I've been stuck with your adorable little trio for weeks now. Please, don't treat me like anything other than my legs are useless."

"I've never said any part of you was useless," Hermione sighed, "We're just friends and even if I wanted that to change, it's not possible. I'll only ever be one of the gang..." The fact she added on the last comment left her more open and vulnerable than Hermione would have liked, "I'm...going to bed."

"Just one of the gang? Something happened!" Draco's formed a knowing smirk. He pointed to the other end of the sofa, "Bed can wait."

"Malfoy..." Hermione shook her head, "I really am not in the mood."

"In the name of house unity and togetherness," Draco again pointed to the couch, "Come on Gryffindor. You know you're dying to tell someone."

That comment brought a small curve to her lips, "I doubt it will do much good but if it's in the name of house unity." Hermione walked over and took over the opposite end of the sofa.

"So, what happened?" Draco asked.

"Technically, nothing." Hermione furrowed her brow, "We just had what felt like it could have been a moment but…" She stopped," If you're going to use anything I say as ammunition.."

"Oh please. I'm beyond all that now." Draco waved off the childishness with his long fingers, "Continue."

"We were down by the pond, and the boys were asking for my help," Hermione cleared her throat, "And."

"Help with?" Draco interrupted, "Full picture helps."

Hermione signed, "They wanted me to give them access to our common room so they could pull a prank."

"I'm hurt," Draco feigned horror, "All the time we've spent together and they would even think of doing such a thing."

"I refused." Hermione countered, "Obviously times are different and regardless of that I can't do that to the Head Boy."

"How noble of you Granger." Draco gave her a slow clap, "And then?"

"When I refused Ron came over and…"Her cheeks brushed a bright crimson, "He was so close and he held my face so gently."

"Ugh.." His words conveyed the usual sarcasm but Draco hadn't seen her blush like this, ever; not even with Krum, "So he was close enough to kiss you and he didn't."

"I guess so. I mean...yes and then Harry spoke and I backed away." Hermione palmed her face, "I backed away too fast and wound up in the lake."

Draco burst out laughing, "You really don't do anything halfway Granger."

"So I've been told.." Hermione nodded while wanting to crawl into her bed more than anything at that point.

"Okay, stand up." Draco pushed off the sofa and rose to his feet, "Some girls take the simplest touch and misconstrue it. As Head Boy, I have decided to help you figure out if this is all in your head or not." He waited for her to join him and then continued, "Now, a friend wouldn't touch another friend intimately. So when you say his hands were on your face. Was he a foot away? Two feet? Half a foot?"

"Uhm...a foot?" Hermione guessed, "I think."

Draco reached up and touched her cheek, "Show me."

"What!" Hermione's eyes grew big and she squeaked out her words, "How."

"Full picture, Granger," He looked down at her feet and the distance between them, "Step forward or backwards as required. Show me where you were."

"Uhm.." Hermione looked down and brought the toes of her shoes closer, "I think we were about here." She bravely changed the position of his hand on her face, "Full picture, right?"

Draco assessed their scenario, "Mhmm. So you're standing by the black lake. The git is begging you for the password to our common room. He's standing…" Draco double checked, "..less than a foot away from you."

"Sounds about right," Hermione said quietly with a nod.

"Well, I won't ever be able to comprehend the inner workings of a Weasley," Draco's thumb brushed across her cheek, "But, as a member of the same species, there is no way that a warm blooded male can be this close to a female without you misinterpreting it."

Hermione suddenly felt embarrassed, "So..that's your opinion?"

"Completely. Either he likes you or he has no understanding of personal boundary rules," He dropped his hand and took a step back, "And you weren't alone so that hindered him making a move but still, he wasn't afraid to get that close to you with Harry around."

"He thinks I like Harry though," Hermione threw a strand of hair behind her ear, "There's also that."

"Okay, so that adds another level to the uselessness of him,"Draco chucked, "Granger if he thought you liked your friend why would he even get that close to you. Unless..." Draco started to ramble, "If he was attempting to make Harry jealous or to make you uncomfortable so that you'd make your feelings known. No...no that's way too complicated for him."

"Oh Merlin, if younger me knew we'd be having this conversation I'd probably never believe it." She tugged on her robe, "This is ridiculous. I'm going to bed."

"Your younger self would be fine. You're a bright witch and I'm well acquainted with mutual attraction," Draco smirked, "Besides, we'll both be working at the Ministry in a year or so and then we'll simply be co-workers. I may as well get a head start on being in your good graces."

Hermione brow angled in confusion, "You? At the ministry?"

"You sound shocked." Draco reached down and picked up his book, "My grades are as good as yours Granger. I won't have an issue."

"It's not that," Hermione countered, "You and I both know your father has voiced his expectations."

"My father," He spat out the word, "He and I have barely spoken since the curse came upon me. I have half a belief he's behind it."

"Why would he curse his only son?" Hermione scoffed, "You taking over the company will turn a new leaf and allow the Malfoy name to grace society again."

"And that's exactly what I want to do with my life," Draco's eyes rolled, "My life's goal is to repair my father's reputation."

"I didn't mean.." Hermione stopped,"I'm sorry..I wouldn't want to be pegged because I was friends with Harry Potter. I doubt you want the same for being a Malfoy."

"Thank you," Draco's words seemed to surprise Hermione, "I know that you took on an extra responsibility when I came back. And I can see you don't approve of my ...guests."

"I try not to judge how you spend your time," She shrugged her shoulders to ease the uncomfortable topic, "You don't flaunt them in our shared space and I respect that."

"Jinx would have my head if I did. She's rather fond of you." Draco chuckled, "I dare say she likes you more than me."

"Probably because I do my own dishes," Hermione responded with a laugh of her own.

"I know you're tired, as you keep glancing at the staircase but one last question," Draco poked her with his book, "Why don't you just go kiss the weasel if that's what you want?"

The sound Hermione made in response was a mix between a squeak and a gasp.

"I thought so," Draco nodded, "You're scared of what will happen if he doesn't respond."

Hermione meekly nodded, "There's no Gryffindor bravery to help with that…" She said good night and headed to the stairs.

"Granger," Draco called out from over his shoulder, "I could help you make sure he responds." When he turned to look for her response, all he found was the empty staircase.


End file.
